209- Daily French Expression: Vieux comme Hérode: as old as the hills

Tu ne connaissais pas? mais c’est vieux comme Hérode: you did not know it? but it is as old as the hills.
We also say: vieux comme le monde, vieux comme Mathusalem.

210- Daily French Expression: Faire du boucan: to kick up a din

Qu’est-ce que c’est que ce boucan??? What is all this noise?
Tu fais trop de boucan, arrête ta musique! You are kicking up a din, stop your music!
We also say “du raffut”, of course you can say “bruit”.

213- Daily French Expression: Tirer son chapeau: To take one’s hat off.

214- Daily French Expression: Je n’en reviens pas: I can’t believe it, I can get over it.

Tu as réussi de le faire? Je n’en reviens pas: You managed to do it?
I am astonished!Je n’en reviens pas qu’il ait réussi de le faire: I can’t believe he was able to do it.
Je n’en reviens pas que + subjonctif

215- Daily French Expression: enfin bon: well, anyway

You use this expression to say that you are ok even if you don’t really agree or to relativize what you have just said:
Mon frère est chanteur, enfin bon, il essaie: my brother is a singer, well, in fact he tries to be.
Tu as oublié ton rendez-vous chez le docteur? enfin bon, si tu n’as plus mal: you forgot your appointment with the doctor? well, if it not hurts you anymore…

216- Daily French Expression: C’est vrai quoi!

You use this expression when you want to show that you disagree with someone and are fed up with the situation.
Tu me demandes toujours de faire la vaisselle et toi tu fais rien! c’est vrai quoi!
You always ask me to do the washing-up and you do nothing! yeah man!
On paie trop d’impôts! c’est vrai quoi! we pay too many taxes! yes man!

217 – Daily French Expression: Chut (ch = sh in French): Shh

We use this expression to agree or to sympathize with someone after he or she told you something outstanding.
Il a volé la vieille dame et l’a blessée – tu m’en diras tant!: he stole the old lady and hurted her. – wow really?
J’ai travaillé toute la journée et toute la nuit! – tu m’en diras tant, tu dois être fatiguée: I have worked all day and all night- dear you, you must be tired.

234 – Daily French Expression: pas un chat: nobody.

Je suis allé faire les course, il n’y avait pas un chat: I went to shopping, there was not a soul.Tu es sûr que c’est ici? il n’y a pas un chat: you are sure it is here? there is nobody.

235 – Daily French Expression: Chelou (verlan louche): fishy, shady.

C’est chelou cette histoire: this story is fishy.Si c’est trop chelou, je ne reste pas: if it is too fishy, I won’t stay.

236 – Daily French Expression: un mal de chien: difficulties to do something.

Mais c’est pas vrai, j’ai un mal de chien à terminer ça. I can’t believe it, I have a hell of a job finishing that!Il s’est donné un mal de chien, mais ça ne marche toujours pas: he made a lot of efforts he busts a gut) but it still does not work.

238 – Daily French Expression: la dèche: poverty.

239 – Daily French Expression: prendre une déculottée: to take a hammering.

(the meaning is to take down one’s trousers)On a joué aux cartes et il a pris une déculottée: we played cards and he took a hammering.L’équipe de football a pris une de ces déculottées 6-0: the football team took a whitewash 6-0.

266- Daily French Expressions: Tourner la page: to start a new chapter

J’ai tourné la page, j’ai tout pardonné: I started a new chapter, I forgave everything.
C’est de l’histoire ancienne, j’ai tourné la page depuis longtemps: it is an old story, I started a new chapter a long time ago.

267- Daily French Expressions: Faire la popote, faire la tambouille: to do the cooking, to cook the grub.

C’est à ton tour de faire la popote: it is your turn to do the cooking.
ça c’est de la bonne tambouille: that’s what I call food!

271 – Daily French Expressions: être relax: to be relaxed

272 – Daily French Expressions: Ric-rac: just, touch and go

Les fins du mois sont ric-rac avec la crise: ends of the months are tight because of the crisis.
L’arrivée de la course a été ric-rac, on ne sait pas encore qui a gagné: the end of the race was tight, we don’t know yet who is the winner.

273 – Daily French Expressions: rififi: trouble, problem

Il y a du rififi au gouvernement: there are some troubles in the government
Du rififi dans les prisons françaises, au moins 1 mort par jour: Problems in the French Jail, at least one death per day!

274 – Daily French Expressions: Riquiqui: tiny

275- Daily French Expressions: Piquer une ronflette: to take a nap

Il est 13h? j’ai le temps de piquer une ronflette: It is 1pm? I have time to take a nap
J’ai piqué une ronflette en plein cours, le prof est si ennuyeux: I took a nap in the classroom, the teacher is so boring!
(it comes from the verb ronfler: to snore)

295- Daily French Expressions: en faire des tartines: to make reams of something

Je t’ai demandé d’écrire une page, pas d’en faire des tartines: I asked you to write one page, not to make a ream.
Il en fait toujours des tartines: he always does more than what we ask him.
(une tartine is a slice of bread)